England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was the hero in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 final against Spain, but the Chelsea star was playing having experienced an awful heartbreak
Lionesses hero Hannah Hampton has revealed she will soon return home to say goodbye to her late grandfather at his funeral, after he died two days before the UEFA Women’s European Championship. Hampton played a pivotal role for Sarina Wiegman’s side and looks set to have a queue of brands waiting to endorse her thanks to her heroics.
She saved two penalties in the final shootout against Spain which saw England retain their European Championship crown. The Chelsea shot stopper, who was named the player of the match, appeared on Good Morning Britain to talk about her first major international triumph for her country.
But while she spoke about the emotions she went through in Switzerland, Hampton also spoke about the passing of her grandfather, which she revealed just days after England lifted the trophy. She made the announcement on her Instagram page, where she uploaded a picture of her green England jersey which had “grandpa” emblazoned on the collar.
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Hampton wrote: “Dear Grandpa. Two days before the biggest tournament of my life, you left. It still doesn’t feel real. I kept thinking when I’d call nannie I’d hear your voice again – one of your jokes, or one of those little comments you’d make that somehow said everything without saying much at all.
“You were one of my biggest supporters. You believed in me before I even knew what this journey would look like. You were always there: watching, encouraging, teaching. You taught me so much, not just about football, but about life. About staying grounded, working hard, being resilient and doing things the right way.
“I miss our chats. I miss you saying, ‘only us athletes understand’ – always with a little smirk like you were in on something special. And you were. You got it. You understood what this meant to me. You understood what it took.”
Hampton, who became the No. 1 after Mary Earps retired from international football, also offered fans an insight into what was going through her head during the match. On Good Morning Britain, Hampton said (via the MEN): “Sometimes I say I don’t like it and sometimes I say I love it. I think the two penalty shootouts we had, I probably didn’t like it. We made it hard for ourselves, let’s be honest.
“I thought I’ve got to do my bit for the team and save a couple, but the first one against Sweden, it kept going on and on and on – we probably gave half the nation a heart attack.”
Speaking to GMB presenters Kate Garraway and Ed Balls, Hampton said her grandpa was her “extra bit of help,” adding: “I remember speaking to him so many times about what we wanted to achieve as a group, and how proud he was.
“All of the time he wanted to come to my football games or watch it on the TV. He would be on the phone straight after. It was hard at the beginning. The girls helped me so much to get through it, and it was hard after games when you wanted to call home and wouldn’t hear his voice.
“My whole point was to not put it out for sympathy. People don’t realise what goes on in people’s lives, so I don’t want people to keep giving all the hate comments and the abuse.
“You don’t know if people are already at a low point, and having that extra bit of fuel isn’t going to help them. People are entitled to their opinions, don’t get me wrong, but there’s a way that you can go about them in a nicer way.”
Hampton revealed to viewers that she’ll be travelling back to the Midlands for her grandfather’s funeral. After that, she intends on inspiring England to a World Cup triumph.
She confidently added: “We need to bring football home well and truly, and that World Cup in Brazil will be incredible. I have faith that we can bring it home and I’m sure the whole nation does after the weekend. We will be going out to give it our best, that’s for sure!”
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